Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-09-22


canvassers and who Indignantly scorned the
appeal that he should lend himself to such
a crime.
To briefly recapitulate, therefore, what
has been done in state affairs during this
state administration: We have rescued the
state from bankruptcy and maintained and
advanced her credit to the highest point
1t has ever reached. We have largely re-
duced the public bonded debt; we have cut
down the interest charge so as to make,
each year, saving on that account alone,
of SS7, 200; we have stopped the decline of
the aggregate of the personal property of
tie state on the duplicate of taxation; we
have largely increased that aggregate, and
thus, by bringing new values on the dupli-
cate, have reduced the burdens that have
previously rested on the lands and other
visible property OF the state. We have
greatly checked the growth of local indebt-
edness, and have, by taxing the liquor
traffic, relieved the annual burdens Of local
taxation to the amount of $4,000 We
have secured honest elections in all the
cities and we have once more given Gin
.cinnati creditable government and a good
name.
By various provisions we have sought to
discharge our duty toward the soldiers, to
whom we are so greatly indebted, and those
who are dependent upon them. We were
of the opinion that no man who served his
country in the hour of trial, as these men
did, should be allowed to live or die as a
pauper in a county poor house. We ac-
cordingly made provision for q soldiers and
sailors home, and in other ways, of which
I shall speak at another time, sought
to do our duty toward this class of our
citizens.
Looking now to National politics, the
reasons become stronger, in proportion
the field is wider, why the Republican party
should prevail in this contest. l want to
commence on this subject with the presi-
D-,+ hall ~ fba ~
dent before 1 talk about the one we now
have. Mr.. Powell seems greatly troubled
for fear, as he suggests, that the chairman
of the Republican state executive committee
was selected for the purpose of wrecking the
presidential train of John Sherman. Please,
Mr.. Powell, dismiss all such fear so far as
Ohio Republicans are concerned. John
Sherman has been put on a sure train, with
free pass in his own name, and | do not
know of anyone from the river to the lake,
who wishes to take it from him John Sher-
man has no such train wreckers to avoid as
Allen G.. Thurman can give an account of.
Now about our present president. Mr..
Powell has seen fit to say in his Hamilton
speech that expressly charged him with
cowGdice by comparing him to whipped
spaniel" Whether or not Mr.. Powell is
j;stified in making such a statement, the
record will disclose, and therefore remind
you that in his speech of acceptance Mr..
Powell took occasion to say that Mr.. Cleve-
land had more conscience and more courage
than any of his predecessors since jackson.
That meant more conscience than Lincoln
and more courage than Grant 1t was
startling announcement, and I, naturally,
took some notice OF it, and in doing so said
we all knew he had courage enough of a
kind that might be said to be his own kind
TO veto number of bills as mayor of Buff
falo, governor of New York and president
of the United States, all of which had refer
ence to soldiers and their interests; that he
had courage enough to praise publicly the
lives of Albert Sidney Johnston and John c..
Calhoun, and enough courage again to go
fishing on Decoration Day and to offer to
States as he termed them, and then added,
as descriptive of his action in countermaud-
ing his order, that we knew, too, that while
he had so much courage, yet also "he
was so lacking in courage of any kind as
to quail like a whipped spaniel before the
down upon him from every loyal state"
An who read this language can and will
form an opinion as to whether or not there
is any justification for the charge Mr.. Pow
ell tries to make. and if they conclude there
is not they will judge also for them
him does him credit or affects him
otherwise. In the meanwhile, allow me to
ask if, when challenged to such Gelecta-
bic task as discussion, of Mr. Cleveland's
courage, we should not speak of it as it ap-
pears to us, and if he did not quail like
whipped spaniel, how did he quail-like
what?
[Governor Foraker replied to Mr.. Pow
ellis statement that he had condemned his
own action by sending an invitation to
President Cleveland to visit Ohio Contin-
uing the governor said:]
It speaks for itself The misquoting and
misinterpreting in these matters and their
purpose are manifest l call attention to
them, however not because they are in
themselves important, but only that the
people of Ohio may, at the outset of this
canvass, learn what degree of credit can be
attached to my antagonists statements.
In quitting this topic, I desire to express
the opinion that the people OF the state are
intelligent enough to understand and ap-
preciate that, while the president of the
United States and the governor of a state
may not be in political accord, yet they
can with entire sincerity and propriety ex-
tend to each other those official and social
courtesies and civilities which the ameni-
ties of life always suggest.
But to return to my subject. So fas as
the president is personally concerned
have nothing to say. l have never on any
occasion publicly spoken of him in this
sense l probably never shall have
matters of more Importance to talk about
have spoken OF him, however, in relation
to his official acts and desire now to briefly
do SO again, and mon who called Lincoln an
ape, a gorilla, q tyrant and a usurper
should not object 1t was not expected
that his administration would be acceptable
to Republicans with respect to those Ques-
tions about which the parties are at issue,
but there are other matters as to which our
Just expectations have been disappointed.
We supposed he would select Democrats for
official position, but we expected him to do
this openly and because they were Demo-
IL t,~.1 1-t,k - ..anN hat
the contrary he would make false pre-
tense of ignoring the just claims of bis
party 1iept in so far as they could be
recognized through the despicable policy of
only Offensive partisans," and
that by adhering TO such course, under
the claim of civil service reform, he would
bring upon that worthy and deserving cause,
as he has done, an odium that has set it
back for years in public appreciation, to the
great detriment of the whole country.
There is another respect in which there
has been still greater disappointment. The
war between the north and the south had
been ended twenty years when he became
president. During that time the prejudice
that had led to 1t had almost completely
faded away, and both st the south and at
the MOI tn it was difficult to find any trace Of
the bitterness that had been engendered by
the great conflict. The people of the south
had come to see and concede the error Of
tnelr cause On all sides, especially among
the ex-soldiers of the Confederacy, there was
a growing feeling of profound thankfulness
that they had been beaten in battle, and
that, as consequence, slavery had been de-
stroyed and they had been saved to be part
and to enjoy the blessings Of the Union.
The results of the war were, in short, conf
ing to be every where recognized and ac-
cepted, and upon the basis of their accept
ance the sections were becoming more Sc
curely bound together in union than they
had ever been before. 1t was believed that
the day was not far distant when the south,
recognizing the Justice and equity that were
involved, would with creditable pride in
doing what was right accord to the most
humble colored man the full enjoyment, at
the ballot box and otherwise, OF all the
rights guaranteed by the constitution There
was no where any open defense or laudation
OF the lost cause" no complaint that
slavery had been abolished; no honor1ng of
secession or the men who had led in uphold
ing the miserable doctrine; no hero worship
OF Jeit. Davis, and no talk by him or any
one else about the righteousness of the
principles for which the south had con-
tended, or about their being eternal and
destined ultimately to succeed. There was
nowhere manifested any lack OF apprecia-
ton for the survivors of the heroes of the
Il NNUnR